Live Well, Laugh Often, and Love Much
by CulinaryChef
Summary: A series of Soviet siblings drabbles. Story title is from a Dove chocolate wrapper, and some chapter titles are from a "100 themes" writing prompt that I found. Please enjoy! I hope no one is too out of character. I just have this notion of little Belarus being the cutest, most curious thing ever. Many chapters may focus on her, but as a little sister myself, I may be a bit bias.
1. Introduction

Natalia - newborn

Ivan - 5

Katsuya - 8

"This is her," cooed Katsuya, cradling the newborn. "This is our sister."

Baby Natalia blinked her wide blue eyes at her sister and grabbed the older girl's pinky with her minuscule hand.

Katsuya smiled. "She's strong." The older sister now two times over turned to her younger brother, who was standing nearby. "Ivan, would you like to hold her?"

Five-year-old pointed to himself. "Me?"

His sister giggled. "Yes you, silly. What other Ivan is there? Here, sit down and I'll help you." Once her brother was settled into a chair, Katsuya carefully transferred the baby into his arms and showed him how to properly hold her and support her head.

Ivan gazed at his new sister with eyes as wide as hers.

"Go ahead," Katsuya encouraged. "Introduce yourself."

"_D-da_." The middle child gazed at the baby with loving violet eyes. "_Privet_. I'm Ivan. I'm your big brother."

Big brother. Those words were foreign to Natalia, as were all words, but those two words - _big brother _- were at once comforting. She could get used to this. She closed her little eyes and yawned.

Katsuya smiled. "She loves you already, not that I blame her. Come, let us let her rest." She went to go take the baby from their brother's arms but Ivan gently shook his head.

"No, sister. Please. Let her stay with me. I want to hold her."

The oldest nodded. "Ok. That sounds perfect."

And the sleeping baby couldn't agree more.


	2. Love

Natalia - 1

Ivan - 6

Katsuya - 9

Natalia was an early talker. She quickly picked up several expressions from her brother and sister, and she enjoyed following them around repeating these words. One of her first - and favorites - was -

"Yuv!"

Katsuya giggled and looked down at the little girl behind her. "Yes, sweetie, I love you too." She knelt down and kissed the girl's head. "Very much."

"Yuv Ivy?" She couldn't yet say Ivan, and the nickname would stick for many years in the future.

"Yes, my dear. I love Ivan very much."

The baby pointed to herself. "Ivy yuv me?"

Katsuya smiled. "Why don't you go ask him?"

"_Da_." Natalia took off on her little legs, calling out, "Ivy? Yuv?"

The older sister shook her head, smile never leaving her pale face. Her sister was the most adorable little thing in the world. She hoped it would be a while before her little sister picked up on more questionable vocabulary.


	3. Light

Natalia - 3

Ivan - 8

Katsuya - 11

"Kat! Kat! What's that?"

The three siblings stood outside in the backyard. It was an unusually warm night, and fireflies danced about the night sky.

Katsuya's warm eyes took in the tiny visitors. "Those are fireflies, dear. If you're very careful, you can catch them."

"I wanna catch them!" Natalia called.

Ivan held out an empty jar to each of his sisters. "Here."

"Spasibo, Ivy," the youngest thanked, clasping the jar eagerly in her little hands. She ran up to a cluster of fireflies only to have them scatter away.

Her eyes filled with tears as she chased the bugs. "Wait! Come back!"

"Sweetie, you have to be careful," Kat cooed.

Ivan put a hand on his little sister's shoulder. "_Da_. Quiet and calculating."

"Quiet and calculating," she repeated. She took a deep breath and held the jar out as she gazed upon another group of fireflies. All was silent except for the soft humming of the creatures.

Natalia counted to three in her head and carefully sprinted forward to engulf a firefly in her jar, then she capped it. "Gotcha! Look Ivy, look Kat!" She ran back to her older siblings, excited to show them her new prize.

"Well done," Kat praised, clapping lightly.

Natalia danced about in a happy circle with her new friend. "I caught one, I caught one!" she sang. She then began to chatter to her firefly, telling him all about her brother and sister as she watched the bug's light twinkle on and off.

"And Kat always sings the best lullabies," she finished with a yawn.

"Yes, and it's time for another one of those lullabies," Kat reminded her. "It's past your bedtime. We have to release your friend."

Natalia made a sad whine in protest. "Why?"

Kat took her sister in her arms. "Because, baby, the firefly has to be free to be with his family, like you are with us. Would you like it if someone took you away from your family?"

"_Nyet_." Natalia shook her head. "Ok, Kat." She held her jar close to her heart. "Bye bye." She removed the lid, and the firefly leaped out of the jar, buzzing around her for a minute before taking off into the cool night air once more.

Kat kissed her sisters head and took her brother's hand. "Come, angels. Let's get ready for bed."

"_Da_," Nat agreed, yawning again. Before she was carried into the house, she took one final look at the blinking light in the sky - her firefly friend. "Bye bye..." she thought for a moment. "... свет."

From then on, whenever Natalia spotted a firefly, she would recite her brother's words: "Quiet and calculating." She would also watch the fireflies as they disappeared into the night sky and would wave to them, hoping just a little that it was the same firefly. "Bye... свет."

**свет (Svet): Russian for "light"**


	4. Dark

Natalia - 5

Ivan - 10

Katsuya - 13

Natalia had to sleep with the door cracked open just the smallest bit. Otherwise, she told her brother and sister, the monsters would get her.

"Sweetie, there's no such thing as monsters," Kat assured her for the millionth time.

"Yes there are!" the five-year-old girl refuted, pounding her little fist on the table resolutely.

The eldest sibling sighed. "Nata, you know monsters aren't real."

"Yes they are. Ivy says so."

Kat turned to their brother, who was grinning sheepishly from across the table. "Ivan..."

"What, sister? They are real," came the 10-year-old's reply. Ivan loved his little sister to bits, but that by no means meant that he couldn't mess with her. If anything, it gave him all the more reason to. "They are real, and if you don't behave yourself like a good little girl, then they'll come out and grab you in their giant claws and hold you tight to make sure you can't escape!"

"_Nyet_!" Natalia ran into her sister's protective arms.

Kat held her baby sister close. "Hush, Natalia." She then turned to Ivan, reprimanding him in a firm but kind voice. "Ivan, the both of you are getting too old to be acting like this. Please stop encouraging her that monsters exist."

"But big sister, they do." He was about to go on, but one look from Katsuya made him reconsider. "Yes, Katsuya."

The big sister nodded. "Good. Now come, dear. Ivan will help you get ready for bed, and I'll be in to tell you a story right after I finish cleaning the dishes."

Natalia unlatched herself from her sister's comforting embrace and looked from sister to brother to sister again. "But what about the monsters?"

"Nattie," Ivan began as he approached the girls. "You heard what big sister said. Monsters aren't real. And even if they are..." He scooped her up and stood up with her in his arms. "I'll protect you from them."

Natalia blinked her wide blue eyes into her brother's violet ones from a long moment, as if she was silently studying him to make sure he was telling the truth. "Promise?"

A small smile danced onto Ivan's lips. "Promise."

That was good enough for the little girl. "Ok," she conceded, and wrapped her little arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

Ivan's smile grew wider as he walked toward her room. One day she would be too big to be carried to bed and too old to be convinced as to the existence of monsters, but he was glad that that day wasn't today.


End file.
